Sunday, 29 September 2013

Harvesting the Heart book review

As a huge Jodi Picoult fan, I have to admit to being a
little disappointed in this book.All
the usual elements were there, a moral dilemma, an in-depth look at a career
choice and Jodi’s excellent prose, but the characters were not as imaginative
as I am used to – Paige, the poor troubled girl with Mummy issues marries Nicholas,
the rich and pretentious doctor.I
really liked Paige’s ability to draw people’s souls into their portraits and
wish Jodi had done more with this quirk that brought the character to life, but
unfortunately she did not and as there was no huge plot twist at the end (as is
usual), it read as a modern romance for an older reader.

As it is Jodi’s second novel after Songs of the Humpback
Whale, which I just could not get into (thankfully I started reading Jodi’s
later novels first), it could just be that she is still finding her true voice
with this novel.

In many parts it just did not read as believable, e.g. the
ease with which Paige found herself a job at the Hospital to enable her to be
close to Nicholas, and I found it particularly hard to warm to the characters
as they (and Paige’s mother) came across as selfish.There wasn’t enough emphasis given to Paige’s
self-doubt as a mother (which was the most realistic aspect to the plot) to
grab you and keep hold of you when the story then becomes a tired will
they/won’t they get back together romance.

‘You love your baby, but you just can’t cope with being a
mother.What would you do?’5/10

About Me

I am a writer who is looking to expand on the articles, poems, short stories and reviews I have had published and the plays and radio plays I have had performed. I am actively seeking a position in the creative industry whilst continuing to write novels, plays, poems and scripts.